Five Best Facts About New Year’s Eve

It’s hard to imagine but another year has passed. We are now about to enter the year 2012, and many of us will do so with a party or a celebration of some sort. We’ve been doing this since we were children. Hopefully, 2012 will be a better year than the last for you and I’d like to thank everyone for reading my blog throughout this year. If you are planning on celebrating, please have a safe evening and get someone to drive you home if you’ve had one or two too many. Here are a few fun facts about New Year’s Eve!

SUPERSTITION OF FRIENDS

It is often thought that the first visitors you see after ringing in the New Year would bring you good or bad luck, depending on who you keep as friends and enemies. That’s why most people celebrating on New Year’s Eve often do so with friends and family. Seventy-five percent of American Parties are with 20 people or less.

AULD LANG SYNE

Auld Lang Syne is sung at midnight to toast in the New Year. The song was composed by Robert Burns sometimes in the 1700’s. The term means “old long ago” or “the good old days.” The actual lyrics are:

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, and auld lang syne?

And there’s a hand, my trusty fiere ! and gie’s a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll tak a right gude-willy waught, for auld lang syne.

CHORUS

DROPPING OF THE BALL

The first New York ball to drop on Times Square in 1907 weighed 700 pounds and was five feet in diameter. It was made from wood and iron. The modern ball that is dropped is made from Waterford Crystal and weights over 1,000 pounds. There are over 9,000 LED lights, but uses hardly any energy. The ball begins to drop at 11:59 and completes the journey exactly at midnight to ring in the New Year. This will be the 105th dropping of the ball on Times Square.

WHAT TO EAT

Items or food that are ring-shaped are considered good luck. This symbolizes “coming full circle”, which is what one year does. Some cultures eat ring-like food through the evening and through the night to ensure that good luck will be bestowed upon everyone who eats. The Dutch often eat doughnuts. Other foods that are eaten on New Year’s Eve are cabbage (or sauerkraut) because the leaves represent prosperity. Ham (or a hog) also symbolizes prosperity. In Asian cultures, rice is a hearty and lucky staple that is eaten around midnight to signify the coming year of fortune.

WHERE NEW YEAR’S ALL STARTED

New Year’s has been around since the time of Ancient Babylon, about 4000 BC. At 6000+ years old, it is one of the oldest holidays on the planet. The actual celebration of New Year started with the New Moon (not the movie), which was followed by the first day of spring in March. In that time, New Year’s Eve and any celebrations associated with it transpired over 11 days. Every day was a different type of celebration which usually signified rebirth, a new period of blossoming and a new season of crops.